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  MSgt. Tom Fisher (Ret.)

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 Name MSgt. Tom Fisher (Ret.)
Country
Unit 23rd Fighter Squadron "Fighting Hawks"
Crewing F-16s from 1989 until 1999
Contact Enginetester Send me a private message
Website
Assignments I've had during my military career:
Reese AFB, TX 1979 - 1982, T-37B and T-38A
Loring AFB, ME 1982 - 1987, B-52G and KC135A
Incirlik AB, TU 1987 - 1989, C-130E/H, C-141B, C-5A/B
Spangdahlem AB, GE 1989 - 1995, F-4G and F-16C/D
Luke AFB, AZ 1995 - 1998, F-16C/D
Spangdahlem AB GE 1998 - 2001, F-16 C/D

Currently retired from the USAF at the end of 2001.

Worked for 5 years for GE Energy, as a field engineer on industrial gas turbines.

Currently work for GE Aviation as a Development Engine Test Engineer, where I test a variety of commercial and military engines.

Current or Favourite assignment

I've always enjoyed being on the "front line" so to speak, being in an operational F-16 Fighter unit in Europe, where all the action took place during that time frame.

This is opposed to Luke AFB, AZ, which is a training base, and what I call a "Mickey Mouse operation", where they are more interested in intermural sports and car washes than they are fixing and flying jets.

Deployments

I was deployed to Aviano AB, Italy during Operation Deny Flight in the early 90s. Been a long time ago, so I can't remember the exact dates. I remember being there for 3 months, and we stayed in a hotel in Pordadone. I mention the hotel because the AF is so cheap that they pick a hotel that had contruction going on in one wing, to install an elevator shaft. I worked nightshift during my time there, and I remember never getting any sleep during the day because of the jackhammers going on right outside my door.

My Jets & Assignments

 		86362 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 23rd Fighter Squadron "Fighting Hawks" [Unit History]
Period 1991 - 1993
Current: 86362   USAF 121 FS F-16C Block 30 [ act]
This was an awesome jet, but the radar package sucked. All the pilots who flew it raved about how strong the engine was and how well they enjoyed flying it. But a few said that although they loved the jet, they wouldn't want to take it into combat because of the weak radar system.
91409 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 23rd Fighter Squadron "Fighting Hawks" [Unit History]
Period 1993 - 1995
Current: 91409   USAF 179 FS F-16C Block 50 [ act]
I got this jet when we switched over to the Block 50 mini D's. Again, I got a great jet, better than my last one. I always had a lot of pride with this tail number, because it "cleaned house", as the commercials say with the 409 household cleaner.
Unit 309th Fighter Squadron "Wild Ducks" [History]
Period 1996 - 1997
Worked as a TAMS Flight Chief
Unit 22nd Fighter Squadron "Stingers" [History]
Period 1998 - 1999
Wasn't assigned an aircraft, but worked as Phase chief and Production Super
Visitor Comments
Mark Eastty, Aug 23, 2009 - 06:27 AM

Tom,

I am trying to jogged my memory but for some reason I could never remember you... Please remind me..

Mark







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